Forming apparatus with pivoted bending arms actuated by flexible members



July 15,. 1958 w. M. DALLETT FORMING APPARATUS WITH PIVOTED BENDING ARMS ACTUATED BY FLEXIBLE MEMBERS Filed Aug. :51, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,1NVENTOR WILLIAM M DALLETT A'ITORNEY5 United States Patent FORMING APPARATUS WITH PIVOTED BEND- ING ARMS ACTUATED BY FLEXIBLE MEIVI- BERS' William M. Dallett, Miami, Fla.

Application August 31, 1956, Serial No. 607,478

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-45) This invention relates to metal working machines and;.more particularly, to a machine for manufacturing metal. forms such as those used in the forming of concrete structure. In making metal forms for use in constructing curbs or. islands of concrete, for example those used. as safety zones or as mountings for gasoline pumps, it is of course desirable that they should be easily and economically constructed and possess uniformity of configuration. Much of the machinery now being used to manufacture. such metal forms is intricately constructed, has little flexibility in the size of form which may be constructed and generally requires. relatively complex and expensive drivingmeans.

One of the principal objects of thisinvention is the provision of a sheet metal. forming machinehaving a simple yet eflicient means. of transmitting power from.

the power sourceto the point of use.

A further. object of the invention is the provision of a sheet metal forming machine having an easily maintained power source for eifecting the forming operation.

Another object is the provision of a metal forming machine in which the forming mandrels are readily-demountable for changes in size.

Still another object is the provision of an. improved shaping mandrel for use with the metal forming machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention'will be in part obvious and in part explained by reference to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an improved metal forming machineaccording to the-present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal elevation looking toward the open side of an improved mandrel; and

Figure 4 is a perspective, schematic view illustrating driving means made in accordance with the present invention.

In order to more clearly understandthe present invention, reference is first made 'to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. Generally,'the principal components of the machine comprise: a pair of cylinders 10, in which are mounted pistons 12; a piston arm 14 which joins the two pistons together in order that they may more effectively cooperate; an upper arm 16 and lower arm 18; an upper plate 20 which carries upper arm 16 and a lower plate 22 which carries lower arm 18; a generally cylindrically constructed shaping mandrel 24 and finally a pair of flexible members 68 and 61 which operatively connect the piston-cylinder arrangement to the upper and lower plates 20 and 22 respectively.

The operating mechanism of the machine, which will be more clearly outlined subsequently, is supported by a frame 26; this frame being constructed of suitably formed structural members 27, of angle iron or like. Adjacent one end of frame 26, and secured thereto, is a generally vertically disposed supporting standard 28, this standard comprising an outer cylindrical member 30,

'ice

an intermediate cylindrical member 32 and a rigid center member 34. Members 30 and 32 are rotatably mounted about member 34 in order that plates 22 and 20, which are mounted upon the members 30 and 32 respectively, may be rotated in opposite directions about the rigid center supporting member 34. The precise manner in which members 30 and 32 are mounted is not critical and can be accomplished by ordinary methods.

Adjacent the upper end of post 34 there is integrally attached, a fixed drumor cylinder upon which the mandrel 24 is removably positioned for carrying out the operation of the machine. This drum consists of a hollow cylindrically shaped body 38 and a centrally disposed mounting ring 40 adjacent each end thereof, rings 40 being attached to the inner surface of body 38 by means of radially extending arms 42.

In order that a piece'of sheet metal or other deformable material may be bentaround mandrel 24 to effect the desired shaping thereof, a pair of upper and lower arms 16 and 18 are attached to their respective upper and lower plates as previously mentioned. Obviously counter rotation'of the plates will, as a consequence, effectuate counter-pivotal movement of the two outwardly extending arms. Adjustably mounted upon the two arms are rollers 44 which extend-upwardly from the arms a distance suflicient to insure that adequae working contact will be obtained between the rollers and the shaping mandrel 24 whichis mounted on standard 28 above the arms-16 and 18. As shown in the drawings, the rollers 44 may be moved inwardly or outward ly on the arms merely by. loosening fastening devices 46'which connect the rollers to their respective arms.

Shaping mandrel 24 itself comprises a-generally cylindrically shaped body 48 having a portion of its wall removed to facilitate mounting of the mandrel on the machine. As best shown in Figure 3, the body 48 is internally strengthened with circumferentially extending rib members 50 and inwardly extending braces 52 which terminate at plate-like members 54. There are three' plates 54, two of the plates being oppositely disposed with respect to each other and the remaining plate disposed at right angles to the first two so that the plates together form means for mounting the mandrel 24 on the drum- 38. That is, the three plates 54 are equally spaced apart in a manner as to define a recess capable of receiving the drum 38 and maintaininga rigid connection between the drum and mandrel 24. Thus to change from one size mandrel to anotherall that need be done is to lift one vertically from drum 38 and replace it with the desired size. No need exists for securing the mandrel to the drum due to the fact that equal opposite forces are applied to. the device during performance ofthe'forming' operation. However, a bolt or other fastening device rcanhbe used to prevent any chance of rotation between the two elements if desired. Additionally, the mandrel is provided with radially extending supporting straps 56 that are essentially in the same plane as the upper edge of body 48 to vertically position the mandrel 24 on the drum 36.

Turning now to a discussion of the operating mechanism, as best shown in Figures 1 and 4, the aforementioned cylinders 10 are secured to frame 26 by suitable structural members 58. At the opposite end of cylinders 10, the outer ends of pistons 12 are secured together by piston arm 14, the piston arm then having both ends of flexible members 60 and 61, which may be of rope, wire, chain, or the like, secured thereto. To enable change of direction of the flexible members 60 and 61, the rear of frame 26 is provided with a pair of oppositely positioned rollers 62 and 64, each roller carrying one of the flexible members. Referring specifically to Figure 4, it will be noted that flexible member 60 is extended outwardly from arm 14 around roller 62, around plate 18 in a counterclockwise direction and back to the opposite side of piston arm 14. The reverse arrangement is true for member 61 since it travels around plate 16 in clockwise direction and then returns to the piston arm. It will therefore become apparent that upon reciprocation of pistons 12, the piston arm 14 will cause oppositely directed forces to be exerted upon plates 20 and 22 and bring about counter-rotation thereof. It should be noted that although the use of two piston-cylinder arrangements has been shown and described, the machine could operate just as effectively with a single piston or with more pistons.

The operation of the machine is as follows: a sheet of metal or other suitable deformable material 66 is disposed between rollers 44 and the mandrel 24, as shown in Figure 1. At this time both rollers are together at the center of mandrel 24, as shown in Figure 1, in order that the pivotal movement of arms 16 and 18 can cause deformation of sheet 66. Once the material is thus positioned, the pistons 12, which are in their retracted position, are forced outwardly by the introduction of gaseous or fluid pressure into cylinders 10. When this occurs the length of the flexible members 60 and 61 between piston arm 14 and rollers 62 and 64 will become shorter while the length of the flexible members between plates 20 and 22 and piston arm 14 will be lengthened commensurately. The obvious result of the outward movement of the pistons is the counter-rotation of the plates 20 and 22 and, as a necessary concomitant, the counter-pivotal movement of arms 16 and 18. As the arms begin their movement the rollers 44 will advance circumferentially around the outer surface of sheet 66 thereby deforming it into a configuration corresponding to that of mandrel 24. In this connection it should be noted that a mandrel may assume more intricate cross-sectional shapes than the partial cylindrical one shown and that rollers 44 may be spring mounted to enable them to properly advance over this more intricate shape. After the arms have reached their outermost position, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure l, the sheet has been bent or deformed to the preferred shape, also shown in dotted lines, so that pressure may be withdrawn from cylinders thus reversing the procedure just outlined. The completed form may then be removed from the mandrel 24 and a new sheet of material inserted between the rollers and the mandrel 24 for subsequent operations.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to specific details herein set forth but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for shaping sheet material comprising: a frame member including a supporting standard, a shaping mandrel mounted on said supporting standard, a pair of coaxial plates operatively mounted on said standard for rotation, a pair of juxtaposed arms, one of said arms being mounted on one of said plates and the other of said arms being mounted on the other of said plates for movement by said plates about their axis, said arms having means for contacting the sheet material to exert a force thereagainst, and driving means for causing opposite rotation of said plates to thereby transmit an initial rectilinear force into counter-pivotal movement of said arms, said driving means including pulley means carried by said frame member, a pressure-actuated piston positioned intermediate said pulley means and said plates for producing reciprocatory movement, a first flexible member connected at one end to said piston and extending around one of said plates and said pulley means and connected at its other end to said piston, a second flexible member connected at one end to said piston and extending around the other of said plates in an opposite direction to said first flexible member and around said pulley means and connected at its other end to said piston, said flexible members eflecting counter-rotation of said plates by actuation of said piston.

2. A machine for shaping sheet material comprising: a frame member including a supporting standard, a shaping mandrel, means attached to said standard for receiving said shaping mandrel, a pair of coaxial plates 'operatively mounted on said standard for rotation, a pair of juxtaposed arms one of saidarrns being mounted on one of said plates and theother of said arms being mounted on the other of said plates for movement by said plates about their axis, said arms having means for contacting the sheet material to exert a force thereagainst, and driving means for causing opposite rotation of said plates to thereby transmit an initial rectilinear force into counter-pivotal movement of said arms, said driving means including pulley means carried by said frame member, a pressure-actuated piston positioned intermediate said pulley means and said plates for producing reciprocatory movement, a first flexible member connected at one end to said piston and extending around one of said plates and said pulley means and connected at its other end to said piston, a second flexible member connected at one end to said piston and extending around the other of said plates in an opposite direction to saidv first flexible member and around said pulley means and connected at its other end to said piston, said flexible.

said body being integrally attached to said supporting standard adjacent one end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,771 Plante Feb. 6, 1912 1,462,315 Akey July 17, 1923 2,312,122 Parker Feb. 23, 1943 

